Terrorism in Manipur
By Jagdamba Mall
Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh and his ministerial colleagues escaped unscathed when extremists of Kuki Revolutionery Army(KRA) had opened fire on an ambuscade against the official convoy at Kangpokpi in Senapati district of Manipur on December 17, 2011 around 11 AM
Soram Ibomcha (60), a chowkidar in PHE Department and his son Soram Gitchandra were found shot dead on December 16, 2011 with their eyes blind-folded and hands tied behind their back near Lamba Khul hillock in Thoubal district by cadres of proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) Manipur Task Force(MTF), Kesho group. They were kidnapped in the night of December 7 in connection with a Rs 20 lakh demand slapped on PHE Department by the group.
Again on December 16, at least 70 heavily armed militants suspected to be NSCN(IM) have detained the convoy of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Gaikhangam (a Naga) alongwith two Congress MLAs while they were coming back from Khoupom after addressing campaign meetings in the area. They could be released when Manipur Commandos rushed to the spots.
On December 17, United Naga Council (UNC) of Manipur allegedly over ground wing of NSCN (IM) announced the imposition of ban on the construction works of the rail lines in Tamenglong in protest against the delay in making alternative arrangement” for the Nagas severing all links with Manipur government. This is for two months initially from December 16. This is a demand for a state within the state leading to merger in Nagalim (Greater Nagaland).
These are four major incidents which occurred within two days only i.e. 16, 17 December. Such terrorist acts have been a daily routine by different militant organisations. In this backdrop, Manipur government has extended AFSPA 1958 in the state for one more year from December 1. Seven assembly segments in and around Imphal Municipal Council area would not come under disturbed area status because the AFSPA had been withdrawn in 2007 following an agitation by shadow militant organisations supported by human rightists. Because of this Imphal valley has become a hub of all the terrorists organisations where they are operating with impurity and making the life of civil society a hell. The act was first promulgated in the entire state in September 1980 when the insurgency movement by different outfits waging an armed struggle for an “independent” Manipur was at its peak.
Addressing the 21st annual conference of the DGPs, IGPs and heads of Central Police organisations of Northeast which began in Guwahati on December 19, Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) RN Ravi said that the North-east over the last 3-4 years has witnessed significant qualitative and quantitative changes in the security scenario even though insurgents still continue to pose a major security threat to the region. Outlining the difficulties faced by the police in the fight against insurgents Ravi said, “Police is a state subject. And a police force has to act under peripheral constraints. But extremists know no boundaries. They act as force multiplier for each other”. Providing a state-wise overview of all the states in the reason he said while the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) is active in Meghalaya, the attempts of valley based insurgent groups of Manipur to regroup is a matter of serious concern. Naga extremist groups (NSCN-IM and NSCN-K) are operating in Changlong and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The increasing inter-factional clashes in Nagaland called for serious introspection. Very often, Army, Assam Rifles and CRPF are called to stop the free movement of armed cadres of NSCN(IM), NSCN (Khaplang), NSCN (Khole-Ketovi), NNC (Accordist) and NNC (Non-Accordist) joined with goondas and badmashes carrying fake identity cards and letter-heads of various insurgent factions moving freely with AK series rifles and pistols on extortion spree. All the participating security agencies said that the attempts of the Maoist organisations to establish their strong hold in the north-east were a matter of serious concern. Due to proper coordination between the state police, Army and Central forces, it could be possible to seize a huge number of explosives, arms and ammunitions. This has resulted in substantial decrease of violents activities in the region. The convention revealed that Maoist rebels have recently chosen, the region for strengthening their movement and are trying to sneak into Assam with help of Ulfa cadres. They are trying to gather strength in the border areas of Assam-Meghalaya,Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh and Assam-Manipur. The Maoist cadres have been trained by Nagaland and Manipur based militant outfits. The militant groups are getting arms through the Myanmar-Mizoram, Myanmar-Nagaland and Myanmar-Manipur routes. Manipur based outfits have strong links with Maoists and are helping them to create a base in the region as well. There are several Church sponsored NGOs—national and international, shadow civil society organisations and pseudo-Human Right organisations who are openly helping the cause of the terrorist organisations. There are China sponsored NGOs, ISI sponsored NGOs and NGOs run by political leaders with dubious integrity. All these NGOs are allegedly in league with terrorist elements.
Terrorism in north-east is no longer an inter-state problem. Rather, it has crossed the boundaries of state and even the borders of the country and become the cross-border terrorism. Various security agencies and Army are required to continuously exchange the valuable informations and to develop inter state coordination to combat China and Church sponsored terrorism in a united manner.
Moist Guerilla army targeting security forces
People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) which is celebrating its 11th anniversary from December 2, has called for intensifying its war against state essentially against the security forces including the Indian Army. This implies that the Red ultras would scale up their violent strikes. “Let us develop PLGA into PLA (People’s Leberation Army of China) and guerilla warfare into mobile warfare with the aim of developing Dandakaranya, Bihar amd Jharkhand into liberated area” the statement issued by comrade Deoji, member of the party’s Central Military Commission (CMC) exhorted.
India’s gravest internal security threat is methodically expanding its spheres of influence into the traditionally unstable regions of the country’s troubled north-east, the analysis reports of South Asian Intelligence Review published in August 2010 said. The analysis said that Communist Party of India – Moist (CPI-Moist) under a strategy to rope in sub-national armed groupings in the country’s pheriphery is widening its campaign for a pan-Indian consolidation of violent anti-state movements. The CPI-Maoist consider that North-east frontier constitutes a strategic space for Left Wing Extremist (LWE) expansion. The Maoists have established their links with ULFA of Assam, NSCN(IM) of Nagaland, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) of Manipur. They are trying to establish links with other terrorist groups in the region.
A China factor is also visible in the growing Maoist linkage to the insurgencies in the North-east. After the elimination of Senior Maoist leader Cherikuri Rajkumar alias Azad in the Jogapar forests on the Andhra–Maharashtra border on July 2, 2010 investigations have discovered a Chinese connection to Maoists. Maoists have visited Yunnan province in South West China bordering Myanmar and have reportedly received guerilla training. ULFA’s c-in-c Paresh Baruah is stationed in this Yunnan province of China. The United Wa State Army (UWSA) – a Chinese speaking warring ethnic group in North Myanmar has acted as a broker for Chinese produced arms as well as to sell weapons. Paresh Baruah is in league with UWSA.
Surrender of militants
57 militants of main terrorist outfits surrendered in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, DGP Manipur Police Y Joy Kumar Singh and Inspector General Asssam Rifles (South) Major General Shakti Gurung on December 15. The break-up number of surrendered cadres are – UNLF-5, PULF (Azad)-15, PULF (UF)-2, PULF (MI Khan). KCP (MTF)-1, PREPAK (VC)-2, PREPAK-6, KCP (City Meitei)-1, KCP-2, KCP(Tabongia)-1, PREPAK (PRO)-1, PRA-1, PLA-6, KNLF-6, KYKL-4, UTLA-2, NSCN(K)-1.
Bharatvarsh handovers fresh list of insurgents camps to Bangladesh
Our Border Security Force (BSF) handed over a list of 46 Bharatiya insurgents camps to Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB). These terrorist camps are located in Bangladesh’s Mynmensingh, Sylhat and Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) besides other regions. The camps included those of ULFA, NSCN (IM), NDFB, ATTF, PLA, GNLA, HNLC and other rebel groups active in the North East region. BSF said that Bangladesh assured firm action against insurgents operating from its territory against Bharatvarsh.
Operation Tirap against NSCN (IM)
Security forces based in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh has launched an intense operation from December 18 in a location bordering Myanmar to flush out a group of heavily armed guerillas from NSCN (IM) and NSCN(K) who have built up a base in the area. The 25 Sector Headquarters located in Lekhapani in Assam’s Tinsukia districts co-ordinates the counter insurgency operations in the twin districts of Tirap and Changlong in Arunachal Pradesh which have been badly infested by armed terrorist of NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K). One camp of NSCN (IM) has already been destroyed and over 50 armed cadres were being chased by Army jawans.
Assam also extends AFSPA for another one year
Tarun Gogoi Govt. of Assam has also extended AFSPA on December 20 in whole of the Assam for one more year considering the possible threats by the hardliner faction of ULFA (Paresh Baruah group) and Maoists who are fast gaining a strong hold in the state. The AFSPA was first imposed in Assam in 1990 and the tenure of act has been extended year by year.
Conspiracy for demonising and demoralising Army
Because of joint operation of Army in Tirap and Changland district of Arunachal Pradesh, militant infested areas of Assam and Manipur, the armed terrorist are on the run and much of them are surrendering. That is why a concerted campaign is afoot to demonise the army and repeal of AFSPA 1958 by overground and underground terrorist elements, shadow civil society organisations constituted by terrorists groups and pseudo-secularists and human rightists.
Chanu Irom Sharmila – a weapon in the hands of Militant organisations
Born to a grade IV veterinary workers of Manipur on March 14, 1972 Chanu Irom Sharmila began to fast on November 4, 2000 in protest of killings of ten people whom army calls as terrorists and Sharmila calls them innocent, in the encounter with Army at Malom town on November 2,2000 some 25 km from Imphal. Earlier the militants had attacked by remote controlled devices on patrolling party of Assam Rifles on October 30, 2000. Because of the pressure from militant organisations. Church bodies and human right activists the Manipur Government withdrew AFSPA from seven assembly segments in and around Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) area in 2007. Sharmila declared that she would withdraw her fast since her aim was fulfilled but the militants reportedly threatened her not to do so. As such, she was compelled to continue her fast. Now she cannot withdraw because of threats from militants. Since she cannot retreats she is pushed forward by over-ground shadow organisations of undergrounds. There is well-organised campaign by anti-national elements to glorify her as iron lady, committed Gandhian, international human rightist so on and so forth. Many put her at par with Anna Hazare. But she is a stooge in the hands of terrorist elements. She is in their grip. Her life is in danger. She requires government help to come out of terrorists’ hold.
It is surprising that social activist Medha Patkar, Magasayasay Awardee Sandeep Pondey, National Alliance of People’s Movement leader Faisal Khan, Association of Disppeared Persons (ADP’s) Praveen Ahangar and local independent MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid joined a 4500-km yatra from Kashmir to Imphal on 14- 27 October 2011.On reaching Imphal they vomitted poison against army and the Government. Their inflammatory speeches incited and encouraged terrorists and divisive elements. Dr Arindam Choudhury, Director of IIPM, New Delhi handed over her a cheque of rupees fifty lakhs as an Award and a certificate of honour in the early part of this year in Imphal. But what for ? It appears that those who are supporting Irom Sharmila, either do not know her hidden agenda or they are doing it deliberately. Their integrity is required to be probed. Such phony human right activists help terrorists by deterring upright cops acting tough. You cannot expect security personnel to fight blood thirsty jihadis with the fear of endless inquiries and court cases in mind. While Jihadis are glorified by unscrupulous politicians and professional radicals , the heroes are vilified without any compunction.
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